Opening the way for Do Luong driftwood industry
Driftwood is the inner core of dry ancient tree stumps. Being the root and core, driftwood is very hard and never gets termites or rots. Driftwood combined with bonsai and rockery is a hobby and art of enjoyment passed down from our ancestors.
The driftwood crafting profession in Do Luong district has been developing for more than 10 years. The initial origin of this profession was only from some people who had a hobby of playing with driftwood when they happened to visit and meet some driftwood craftsmen in the Northern provinces. From the passion and hobby of some people, gradually the demand for buying and using driftwood has increased. Many customers in some remote provinces have come to the crafting establishments in Do Luong to order driftwood products. Especially, since 1998, when the Do Luong District Ornamental Plants Association participated in festivals and SVC fairs in the provinces in the South and the North, Do Luong's driftwood fine art products won high awards and became known in many places. Currently, in the district, there are 18 establishments specializing in the production of driftwood carvings and art wood, and this profession has created a unique feature of the Do Luong Ornamental Plants Association.
Located in a small alley in Hamlet 6, Dong Son Commune, adjacent to Do Luong Town, Mr. Nguyen Danh Ke's driftwood production and processing facility has been operating for over ten years. This is a familiar address for many customers in Hai Phong, Hanoi, Hai Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Initially, Mr. Ke was the only one who dabbled in crafting, gradually developing into a facility specializing in driftwood and fine art wood products. Currently, his facility creates regular jobs for 5-7 workers and over 10 seasonal workers. For skilled workers, the income is 4-5 million VND/month and the average is 1.5-2 million VND/month. The facility's driftwood products have participated in the Ornamental Plants Festival in Ho Chi Minh City 3 times and won 1 Silver Medal and 2 Bronze Medals.
The craft of producing and crafting driftwood in Do Luong has contributed to shifting the labor structure and creating jobs for many people.
In Do Luong town, the carpentry and carving profession has existed for a long time, but the driftwood and wood carving profession is quite new. However, the pioneers in the driftwood profession here are very excited about the development potential of this profession, especially in craft villages with a long tradition of carpentry.
In recent times, the driftwood craft and driftwood products of Do Luong have been known to many places inside and outside the province through product exhibitions at fairs. Some works have won titles and awards. However, like other handicrafts, there are difficulties that need to be paid attention to, creating conditions for investment and development such as capital, factory space... Therefore, the common desire of the driftwood art crafting establishments in Do Luong is to soon establish a craft village.
Hopefully the positive orientations of the local government and the province's policy of encouraging career development will be the driving force for the driftwood industry to develop.
Hoang Viet Anh
